NFL Free Agency: Is Terrell Owens an Alluring Target for Cleveland Browns?

Terrell Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has been on a media tour over the past week, telling anybody that will listen that his client will be completely healthy for Week 1. The Cleveland Browns are in desperate need of some help at the wide receiver position and could use a big target for second-year quarterback Colt McCoy.

Could it be a match made in football heaven?

Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository provided this update:

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One alluring Browns target could be 37-year-old wide receiver Terrell Owens. Heckert was with the Eagles when Owens helped lead them to a Super Bowl. Holmgren has always had a soft spot for older receivers. He was Jerry Rice’s last head coach, when Rice turned 42.

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Owens will be entering his 16th season in the league, assuming he does find a suitor, in 2011. Clearly his best days are behind him, but he still has good enough athleticism to be a productive wideout. There is no doubt he is an upgrade over the Browns' current options at the position.

Just like his last two stops in Buffalo and Cincinnati, a stop in Cleveland would be a one-year deal as Owens tries to prove he still has gas left in the tank. At 6'3'' and 224 pounds, the size certainly won't desert him, but his skills have been on steady decline since 2007.

Cleveland will rely on Peyton Hillis to lead a run-heavy offense, at least while it is still in striking distance during any given game. Owens' role would be to spread out the defense and make big catches on third down.

For as storied of a career as Owens has had, he has only reached the 100-catch mark one time (2002 with San Francisco). He obviously won't approach that number with Cleveland, but he could make 60 catches for 870 yards and seven touchdowns if he remains healthy for the entire season.

The biggest reason to acquire Owens is to help out McCoy. It is tough enough for an inexperienced quarterback to succeed in the NFL with good receivers, but when your receiving corps consists of Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Joshua Cribbs and second-round pick Greg Little, it's nearly impossible to thrive.

If you add Owens to the mix, even as a decoy for a big-play guy like Cribbs, it will give McCoy options. The Browns want to see exactly what they have in the University of Texas alumnus because they'll likely have another high draft pick next season and will need to know if they should spend it on a quarterback.

As for Owens' off-field issues, they seem to have diminished since he has become a one-year rental player for a new team each season. He clearly wants to play for as long as possible, so he doesn't want to burn any bridges with the poor attitude he once had.